The term "Five Civilized Tribes" refers to five Native American nations in the Southeast United States: the Cherokee, Chickasaw, Choctaw, Creek (Muscogee), and Seminole. The label emerged in the early to mid-19th century as Americans observed these nations adopting many Euro-American cultural practices and institutions, such as written constitutions, centralized governments, Christianity in some communities, literacy, market participation, and other elements of what was then labeled as “civilization.” These tribes were collectively relocated west of the Mississippi during the Indian Removal era, most notably during the Trail of Tears period, as U.S. policies aimed to remove southeastern tribes to Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma). The designation is now controversial among many because it reflects a historical judgment about cultural advancement and has been criticized for oversimplifying diverse cultures and histories. If you’d like, I can provide a concise timeline of key events for each tribe and explain how the term was used in policy and popular discourse.